Snow, n. [OE. snow, snaw,
AS. snāw; akin to D. sneeuw, OS. & OHG.
snēo, G. schnee, Icel. snær,
snjōr, snajār, Sw. snö, Dan.
snee, Goth. snaiws, Lith. snëgas, Russ.
snieg', Ir. & Gael. sneachd, W. nyf, L.
nix, nivis, Gr. acc. ni`fa, also AS.
snīwan to snow, G. schneien, OHG.
snīwan, Lith. snigti, L. ningit it snows,
Gr. ni`fei, Zend snizh to snow; cf. Skr. snih
to be wet or sticky. √172.] 1. Watery
particles congealed into white or transparent crystals or flakes in
the air, and falling to the earth, exhibiting a great variety of very
beautiful and perfect forms.
☞ Snow is often used to form compounds, most of which
are of obvious meaning; as, snow-capped, snow-clad,
snow-cold, snow-crowned, snow-crust, snow-
fed, snow-haired, snowlike, snow-mantled,
snow-nodding, snow-wrought, and the like.
2. Fig.: Something white like snow, as the
white color (argent) in heraldry; something which falls in, or as in,
flakes.
The field of snow with eagle of black
therein.
Chaucer.
Red snow. See under Red.
Snow bunting. (Zoöl.) See
Snowbird, 1. -- Snow cock
(Zoöl.), the snow pheasant. -- Snow
flea (Zoöl.), a small black leaping poduran
(Achorutes nivicola) often found in winter on the snow in vast
numbers. -- Snow flood, a flood from melted
snow. -- Snow flower (Bot.), the
fringe tree. -- Snow fly, or Snow
insect (Zoöl.), any one of several species
of neuropterous insects of the genus Boreus. The male has
rudimentary wings; the female is wingless. These insects sometimes
appear creeping and leaping on the snow in great numbers. --
Snow gnat (Zoöl.), any wingless
dipterous insect of the genus Chionea found running on snow in
winter. -- Snow goose (Zoöl.),
any one of several species of arctic geese of the genus
Chen. The common snow goose (Chen hyperborea), common in
the Western United States in winter, is white, with the tips of the
wings black and legs and bill red. Called also white brant,
wavey, and Texas goose. The blue, or blue-winged, snow
goose (C. cœrulescens) is varied with grayish brown and
bluish gray, with the wing quills black and the head and upper part of
the neck white. Called also white head, white-headed
goose, and bald brant. -- Snow
leopard (Zool.), the ounce. -- Snow
line, lowest limit of perpetual snow. In the Alps this
is at an altitude of 9,000 feet, in the Andes, at the equator, 16,000
feet. -- Snow mouse (Zoöl.), a
European vole (Arvicola nivalis) which inhabits the Alps and
other high mountains. -- Snow pheasant
(Zoöl.), any one of several species of large, handsome
gallinaceous birds of the genus Tetraogallus, native of the
lofty mountains of Asia. The Himalayn snow pheasant (T.
Himalayensis) in the best-known species. Called also snow
cock, and snow chukor. -- Snow
partridge. (Zoöl.) See under
Partridge. -- Snow pigeon
(Zoöl.), a pigeon (Columba leuconota) native of
the Himalaya mountains. Its back, neck, and rump are white, the top of
the head and the ear coverts are black. -- Snow
plant (Bot.), a fleshy parasitic herb
(Sarcodes sanguinea) growing in the coniferous forests of
California. It is all of a bright red color, and is fabled to grow
from the snow, through which it sometimes shoots up.